District of Columbia
District of Columbia special education hub
Starter orientation for District of Columbia families and staff. Our Texas section is deeper today. Everything here points to official Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and federal sources.
Overview
Special education in District of Columbia runs on the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) plus state rules administered by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Local districts deliver the services.
District of Columbia uses the federal vocabulary. The team that writes the plan is the IEP team, and the plan is the IEP. Texas terms such as ARD are Texas specific and do not describe District of Columbia practice, so we do not use them on these pages.
We do not publish District of Columbia day counts or deadline numbers. Timelines have exceptions and they are updated by rule. Confirm anything time sensitive with Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) materials and with your district in writing.
Pages in this hub
- IEP meetings in District of Columbia
Who is on the team, what the meeting covers, and how parents take part.
- Asking for an evaluation
How evaluation requests usually start, and where to confirm current District of Columbia timelines and forms.
- Parent rights and safeguards
An orientation to the procedural safeguards notice. It is an overview, not a replacement for the notice itself.
For parents in District of Columbia
Follow the parent journey, then see For Parents. New to the vocabulary? Read the glossary terms IEP, FAPE, LRE, and procedural safeguards. National companions live in Guides.
For District of Columbia schools
District and building leaders can start with For Schools, then use Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) guidance and your regional support system for state specific training.
Official starting points
- Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
- IDEA (U.S. Department of Education)
- Advocates for Justice and Education: the parent training and information center for District of Columbia.
- Disability Rights DC at University Legal Services: the protection and advocacy agency for District of Columbia.
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
Looking for another state? See all state sections.
Not legal advice. Not medical advice.